Human Rights Reporters Ghana boss receives prestigious awards on migration reporting

Astute journo, Joseph Kobla Wemakor picks 2018 Media Migration Competition Award. Joseph Kobla Wemakor a gem in the world of journalism in Ghana has been awarded at the Award Ceremony and Launch of Training Manual, Mobile Application and Data Base of migration stories in Accra.

He was among the ten (10) winners who distinguished themselves with their stories that bordered on migration and the challenges that migrants face in an attempt to seek greener pastures beyond the shores of Ghana. 

As a journalist who is passionate about migration-related stories, as well as human rights issues, he continues to champion the cause in these and many other areas to bring every detailed reports and news to the knowledge of society and policy makers.

In 2016, he was awarded at the maiden edition of the Ghana Institute of Journalism ‘Campus Clique’ award ceremony. He is also a recognized member of prominent organizations including International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Network of Journalists, Media Migration Network (MMN), Coalition of People Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (COPASH) and UNFPA Media, Communications and Advocacy Network (MCAN) and others for his works and contributions.

The competition was organized by Media Response, an NGO, with support from FMM West Africa among other donor partners which was used to reward hardworking reporters or journalists who report on migration and free movement of persons. This media contest received entries from twenty (20) journalists across the country after it was opened on Friday, July 27.

Joseph Kobla Wemakor is currently the Executive Director Human Rights Reporters Ghana, an NGO in Ghana that is championing sensitization efforts to educate the populace and arm them with valuable skills and abilities to help them foil kidnapping attempts should they be faced with it. He is also the Deputy Head of Information and Communication of the Plo Lumumba Foundation (Ghana Chapter) a post he rose to in January 2019. He is the Senior Greater Accra Regional Coordinator for the Inter Tertiary Excellence Awards 2018 as well.

The Media Response, an NGO in collaboration with its partners, the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the Information Service Department (ISD), the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Independence Broadcasters Association (GIBA) were present at the event organized that the conference room of the Ministry of Information.

The excited Joseph Kobla Wemakor could not hide his joy for being among the best ten in the country at the maiden edition of the competition’s award ceremony who were awarded on the day. He believes this award will motivate and challenge him to even do more. As a journalist, Joseph is also the Chief–Editor of ghananewsone.com a hub and a library of excellent reports and articles on topical issues.

His works (migration related stories) such as I prefer Kpakpakpa movement to Europe via the Sahara Desert than be enslaved with poverty in Ghana: 21-year-old desperate migrant, Death on the Sahara Desert: Touching story of a Ghanaian migrant and Rural-Urban migration in Ghana: A mixture of virtues and faults are some of his publications which are assessable online.

Joseph who plays advocacy roles with the aim of relieving the plight of female head porters (Kayayei) also did a feature story titled Meet Abudu Salah, the Kayayei who scored six A’s and two B’s in WASSCE which was published by many media houses across Ghana in January this year.

Many of his write-ups on critical issues such as gender-based violence, human rights abuse, migration and many more continue to be published by big media houses in Ghana. Notable among them are Ghanaweb.com and 3News.com.

Some of the journalists who also picked awards on the day were Akua Oforiwa Darko of GTV fame, Peter Quaye Adator from TV3, Zodak Kwame Gyesi from Daily Graphic, Francis Bucknor-Baffoe a journalist with GBC, Jamila Akweley Okertchiri of Daily Guide and others.

Members of the Human Rights Reporters Ghana where Joesph happens to be the Executive Director of the NGO have congratulated their own. He is only getting better by the day and we at newsghana24.com congratulate him look forward to him winning an international award soon.